January-February 2015 | CHECK THAT OUT!

Mike & Dianne Ringer of THaT* Furniture Store have settled in nicely to their beautiful, new 12,000 sq. ft. showroom next to Hobby Lobby in Salisbury

The consistent growth and overall success of THaT* Furniture in Salisbury is to its founders, Mike and Dianne Ringer, a testament that God is smiling on them. In fact, Dianne feels absolutely certain that their big, new location on Rte. 13 next to Hobby Lobby is some of the best evidence of this Providence.

“We’d had such a fantastic eight-year run at our previous location that I was, quite frankly, a little reluctant to move the business,” admitted Dianne, who opened THaT* Furniture with Mike in 2005. “But after a customer and then our pastor the following day quoted some of the same passages from the First Book of Samuel, when Jonathan had to climb the cliffs and mountains, my pastor said, ‘What is God telling you to do, move? Then what are you waiting for? Move!’ Though he wasn’t speaking to us directly, God certainly was.”

“It was an appropriate metaphor,” added Mike, “because at this location, sandwiched among giants like Walmart, Hobby Lobby and Kohl’s, it is like being in the valley among the mountains of retail.”

The doors officially opened to the public back in July, and the response to the 12,000 sq. ft. space has only reinforced their initial decision. Occupying what had previously belonged to Factory Card Outlet, the Ringers gutted the interior from stem to stern in a massive three-month renovation, installing crown moldings, track lighting and smooth polished-concrete floors, in addition to many other improvements.

As part of their expanded operation, Mike and Dianne not only bring in brand-new pieces five days a week, they’ve also added a custom shop, where customers can special-order private-label items right from the floor that are 100% USA made, with hardwood frames and hundreds of fabrics to choose from. The Ringers also shared that customers may look forward to an expansion of their accessories department in the coming months.

Mike feels a key to the business’s success over the years is that its inventory literally comes from all over the world, which is why he’s continually able to bring such one-of-a-kind “imperfectly fine new furniture” to the area at discounts of up to 80%.

“One of the best things about this new space is that it is designed to allow us to quickly and easily refresh our inventory, so we can showcase newly acquired items,” Mike said. “That constant changeover gives the store a kind of art-gallery-type quality. Our customers never know what will arrive each week, which is the main reason they tend to make repeat visits to the store throughout the month, just to see what’s new and different since the last time they were here. Dianne and I really like that.”